Trendy Pizza

Dallas-based pizza chain gets on board with hot and cheesy national trend

Pie Five Pizza has a vegan cheese option that can be ordered on any of its pizzas.

Photo courtesy of Pie Five Pizza

Dallas-based Pie Five Pizza is getting on board with one of the biggest restaurant trends of 2016: vegan dining. The company is adding a vegan cheese option made by pioneer Daiya, to serve at all Pie Five restaurants nationwide.

Called Daiya Classic Blend Shreds, it's a blend of mozzarella and cheddar vegan shredded cheese, like nothing offered at other chains. It does what most people want cheese to do on a pizza: It melts and stretches to create a gooey, rich topping, just like dairy-based cheese.

The cheese blend is soy-free, gluten-free, dairy-free, tree-nut free, plant-based, lactose-free, and vegan.

Patty Scheibmeir, VP of research and development and product innovation at Pie Five, says that guests were requesting it, and that Daiya was the best dairy-free alternative.

"The thing about Daiya's cheese is that it worked well with our current oven settings, and it works with all of our pizza crusts," she says. "It cooks perfectly, with a beautiful stretchiness. With some of the vegan cheeses we tried, they came out looking like burnt marshmallow. Daiya was the only one tested that looked and tasted good."

Three out of four of Pie Five's crusts are vegan: artisan thin, whole-grain Neapolitan, and gluten-free. (The pan crust has milk protein and is therefore not vegan.)

"Those have always been vegan," she says. "We don't have egg in any of our crusts."

Pie Five is a spin-off of Pizza Inn that specializes in customized personal pizzas. It is named for the amount of time it takes to get your pizza made to order: five minutes. Toppings include upscale options such as spinach, artichoke hearts, caramelized onions, and three kinds of olives. Fresh vegetables are prepped at each store.

The first Pie Five opened in Fort Worth in 2011; there are now 87 locations in 24 states.

Five of Pie Five's seven sauces are vegan, including Tuscan marinara, spicy marinara, barbecue, olive oil, and olive oil with garlic. (The Alfredo and ranch sauces have milk.) That allows customers to create an entirely vegan pie.

"The vegan trend is expanding," Scheibmeir says. "We hear it from young people, women, millennials, and we're working on more options."

Daiya Classic Blend Shreds will be available at every Pie Five location by the end of March.

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Coming soon

Dallas restaurant group to open modern Mexican spot in Grapevine

Vidorra’s new Grapevine location will serve up a full lineup of tacos, sizzling entrees, and handcrafted margaritas.

Photo courtesy of Vidorra.

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A restaurant from Dallas that Grapevine residents have kept an eye on for over a year has finally set an opening date: Vidorra, a "modern Mexican" restaurant, is opening at 700 W. State Hwy. 114 in Grapevine on August 31, according to a release.

The concept is from Dallas-based hospitality group Milkshake Concepts and owners Imran Sheikh, James Faller, and Asim Sheikh, who opened the first Vidorra location in Deep Ellum in 2018. Since then, the restaurant has expanded to three more locations across the Metroplex — Addison, Rockwall, and Grand Prairie — as well as one in Nashville. Grapevine is their first one in Tarrant County.

Vidorra, which means "the good life," is known for its contemporary take on traditional Mexican dishes, handcrafted cocktails, and energetic atmosphere.

First announced in June 2025, the Grapevine location will serve Vidorra’s signature menu that includes aguachile, house-made guacamole, street tacos, sizzling fajitas, and enchiladas. Guests can also order the signature Parrillada en Fuego — an assortment of grilled meats and accompaniments served tableside in a sizzling 400-degree molcajete.

Vidorra Vidorra's signature Parrillada en Fuego, featuring an array of grilled meats, shrimp, nopales, and peppers.Photo courtesy of Vidorra

The beverage program will include handcrafted margaritas, an extensive selection of premium tequilas, and fresh seasonal cocktails. A standout item is a trendy Soft Serve Margarita, which combines a frozen margarita with creamy soft serve for a playful twist. During the week, Happy Hour will offer specials on margaritas, beer, wine, and select appetizers.

There's also weekend brunch, featuring chilaquiles, breakfast tacos, pan dulce French toast, handcrafted brunch cocktails, and tableside mimosas.

The location was most recently home to Hoffbrau Steak & Grill House, which closed surprisingly in February 2024, just a little over a year after it opened in November 2022 in a former Brick House Tavern & Tap, which closed during the pandemic. Way back in the day, it was a Romano's Macaroni Grill.

The new space will feature lush greenery, stone sculptures, warm lighting and expansive bar seating. There are also private event spaces.

“We’re incredibly excited to introduce Vidorra to the Grapevine community and open our fifth location,” says Imran Sheikh in the release. “Grapevine has such a distinctive personality, bringing together residents, travelers, and families throughout the year. We wanted to create a restaurant that feels equally welcoming whether you’re stopping in for brunch, meeting friends after work, or celebrating a special occasion.”

grapevine restaurants openings mexican food